The Anglesea Arms, Gastropub, Hammersmith

The Anglesea Arms is a lovely gastropub in Hammersmith with a lively atmosphere and inventive menu. The restaurant has a glowing reputation… and is often graced with the presence of local celebs, like comedienne Miranda Hart! I've visited several times now and from my experience the food here varies enormously though I have always enjoyed it. Last weekend we visited for lunch for a rare family meal out, it felt like a real treat. The pub was buzzing with weekend jollity and the service was impeccable, with friendly, efficient staff.

We chose an assortment of dishes, and I managed to try pretty much everything on the table. Much to my brother’s annoyance his dish required more than one taste! I was tempted by the Imam Bayeldi – an aubergine based type of ratatouille, but was put off on hearing that it is served cold, and opted instead for the leek and cheddar tart with green salad. It was delicious - a warm comforting slice of cheesy quiche with soft crumbling pastry complemented by the crunchy salad. I would never choose cauliflower soup, in my opinion thick white liquid is not very appetising; however my mum felt like it and sadly found it too salty (but to be honest her tolerance for salt is staggeringly low). The waiter immediately brought her another dish and didn’t charge for the replacement - a fresh buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto and red watercress salad. My brother’s Middlewhite Pork Belly with Potato Gratin, Greens and mustard was divine, a lovely piece of meat – with layers of crispy crackling, a small proportion of flavoursome fat and delicious, perfectly cooked pork. The potatoes were all caramelised and creamy and I thought the buttery kale was the ideal choice of vegetable to accompany the rich meat.

Puddings were a sight to behold, a glorious array of oozing sugary treats. We chose a few to share, originally we agreed on two but overwhelmed by indecision we gave in and ordered a greedy three! Very generous portions of Salted caramel & Chocolate Truffle, Frangipane Tart with Poached Pears and Ricotta Doughnuts with Butterscotch Sauce arrived for us to fight over. I liked the Frangipane Tart best: a soft, almondy cake that arrived hot served with contrasting vanilla ice cream. The only odd thing was the excess of chocolate sauce that covered the pears, it was just one flavour too many. The doughnuts were eccentric and interesting, very sweet but delicious nonetheless and the caramel and chocolate truffle was too salty bitter for me, but went down well with the rest of the table!

We had a lovely meal: hearty food, delicious cider and faultless service, an all round perfect pub lunch.

The meal cost £70 for a decent meal for four including drinks and service.